Ahead of a historic Inauguration Day, the US President-elect Joe Biden has named over 15 Indian-Americans to be a part of his administration. The 46th president-to-be has ensured that the diversity of the US is well-represented in his government. In one of his press interviews last year, the President-elect said, “I’m not going to tell you now exactly what I’m doing in any department, but I promise you, it’ll be single most diverse cabinet, based on race, color, based on gender, that’s ever existed in the United States of America.”
Having named 20 Indian-Americans, including 13 women as part of his office, he has certainly delivered on that promise as far as Indian-Americans are concerned. The Inauguration Day on January 20, will have multitudes of firsts – first female, Indian-origin, African American Vice President, Kamala Harris; and the first time that so many Indian-Americans would’ve been appointed key roles in a presidential administration. It'd also be the first time when two Indian-Americans who find their roots in Kashmir, would be part of the White House.
“As President, I'll also continue to rely on Indian-American diaspora, that keeps our two nations together, as I have throughout my career,” Biden said in his address to the Indian-American community during a virtual celebration of India’s Independence Day on August 15, 2020.
List of Indian-Americans who would be a part of Biden’s administration
1. Neera Tanden would be the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
2. Dr. Vivek Murthy has been nominated to be the US Surgeon General.
3. Vanita Gupta nominated as Associate Attorney General Department of Justice.
4. Uzra Zeya has been nominated as the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
5. Aisha Shah has been named as Partnership Manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy.
6. Sameera Fazili will occupy the key position of Deputy Director at the US National Economic Council (NEC) in the White House.
7. Bharat Ramamurti would be the Deputy Director, White House National Economic Council.
8. Gautam Raghavan would be Deputy Director in the Office of Presidential Personnel.
9. Vinay Reddy has been named as Director, Speechwriting.
10. Vedant Patel, to be Assistant Press Secretary to the President. According to the reports, he is only the third-ever Indian-American to be a part of the White House press shop.
11. Sonia Aggarwal has been named the Senior Advisor, Climate Policy and Innovation in the Office of the Domestic Climate Policy.
12. Vidur Sharma has been appointed as the Policy Advisor, Testing for the White House COVID-19 Response Team.
13. Neha Gupta has been named as the Associate Counsel, White House Counsel.
14. Reema Shah is to be the Deputy Associate Counsel, White House Counsel.
Making a defining mark on the USA’s foreign policy and national security, Biden appointed three Indian-Americans to be a part of the National Security Council of the White House. They are Tarun Chhabra, Senior Director, Technology and National Security; Sumona Guha, Senior Director, South Asia; and Shanthi Kalathil, Coordinator, Democracy and Human Rights.
Part of the future First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden’s entourage
1. Mala Adiga has been appointed the Policy Director to the future First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
2. Garima Verma would be the Digital Director of the Office of the First Lady.
3. Sabrina Singh has been named to be her Deputy Press Secretary.
While Biden’s administration is being applauded for its diversity, many are contemplating his taking over of a nation that's facing some of the most pressing problems as mentioned in one of Forbes articles earlier last year, namely - immigration, national security, and foreign policy, regulation, technology, jobs, health care and education with COVID-19 as a recent addition.
